Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-06-24
Sir william Armstrong ON Swift
Cruisers.

| On Saturday afternoon (April ~, IN
the presence of more than 10000
SPECTATORS. the monster armor-clad
war vessel Victoria, the heaviest ever
successfully iioated, was launched from
the Elswick shipyard of Sir w. g..
Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. (limited.)
The following are the dimensions OF
the vessel Length $40 feet. breadth
| 70 feet 6 inches, mean draft 70 feet'
o inches, displacement in tons TO-
500 horsepower 10000. She is pro-
tected by armor 8 inches thick, and
will be armed with two 110-ton guns.
The Victoria also possesses " power
full torpedo attack. She glided into
the water gracefully, after having been
christened by Mrs. Forwood, wife OF
the secretary to the Admiralty, Mr..
Forwood, NJ. p. Lord Charles Beres-
ford was present, and also Mr. w. *.
White. Chief Constructor OF the Navy.
Sir William Armstrong first pro-
osed the toast Of The Queen" and
it was heartily responded to Sir
William next proposed the toast OF
the day, Success to the Victoria"
He said that she was not only the
first armor-clad the company had ever
built, but was the heaviest ship that
had ever been successfully launched in
this country. The Admiralty seemed
disposed to slacken their expenditure
upon these gigantic vessels, and TO
expand their operations in the building
of swift cruisers. and he had always
said that what England wanted above
all things was a numerous fleet (hear,
hear) OF swift cruisers, not extempor-
lied out OF passenger boats or mer-
chant ships, but built and especially
adapted for the purpose for which they
were intended--for the protection of
our widespread commerce, and Tor
aiding in the defence of our colonies.
Now, for the purpose OF comparison
between the ships OF the present day
and the ships OF the past, he could
take no more fitting example than the
Victory of the old time and the Vic
toria OF to-day. Nelson's ship, the
Victoria, was one OF the largest OF her
time, and yet her displacement, with
everything on board, was only $500
tons. That OF the Victoria OF to-day
was 10, 500 tons. The Victory, in
accordance with the usage OF her time,
was built of oak The Victoria, in
ccordance with the usage OF our time,
was built of iron. The Victory, OF
course, depended entirely upon the
wind, while the Victoria was Deepen
dent upon steam. The speed OF the
Victory under the most propitious
conditions was barely 13 knots an
hour; while the Victoria, propelled by
her engines OF 10000 horse power,
would probably reach q speed OF II
knots per hour. The heaviest gun on
board tho Victory was under three
tons, while the largest gun on board
this vessel would be ITO tons. The
board the Victory at Trafalgar was
6S pounds the largest and heaviest
on board the Victoria would be l,S0O
pounds. The weight OF metal de-
livered from the Victory's broadside
was only $50 pounds, while that de-
livered from the broadside OF the
Victoria would be 4, 760 pounds. In
point oil rage, artillery penetration,
shell power and so forth, the diff
ference was so enormous that COM
parison could not be drawn. The
armament OF the Victoria would be
two guns OF 10 tons firing ahead and
firing astem and on either side, IL
guns of ) tons each in an armored
battery, 1875 pound quick firing guns,
besides machine guns for smaller
ammunition; and in addition to her
artillery she had a powerful ram and
eight torpedo discharges, four above
water and four below. In the days
OF the Victory little ram was the
practice and torpedoes were wholly
unknown. Therefore, they could
have no comparison in that respect.
Another point on which the Victoria
compared most favorably with the
Victory was in the smalness of the
number OF men the Victoria would
needto handle her. The complement
of the Nicto was $50 officers and
men. The Victoria was three times
as big, and the number OF men re-
CURED was only $50, and OF that num-
Der ITO were engineers and stokers.
1t was then impossible to work the
armament OF the big guns now in use.
Hydraulic power was now used.
Sir William proceeded to argue that
the large amount OF money spent upon
the navy was not lost, but was bene-
tcal to the nation at large in many
ways, and he resumed his seat amid
loud cheers.-London Daily News.